schneider



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. SCHNEIDER. BREEC'H LOADING ORDNANGB.

No. 449,335. K Patented Mar. 31, 1891.

Bredch Closures, Screw. Interrupted,

2 Sheets--Shes-` (No Model.)

H. SCHNEIDER. BRBECH LOADING ORDNANGE. No. 449.335. Patented Mar. 31,1891.

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WITNESS/5S: [NVE/WUI? www 07% ma Mmm/mm UNITED STATES A HENRI SCHNEIDER,

,PATENT GFFICE.

OF PARIS, FRANCE.

BREECH-LOADING GRDNANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,385, dated March 31, 1891.

Application filed June-17, 1890. Serial No. 355,796. (N model.)

.To @ZZ whom z'z may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRI SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the Republic ot' France, and a resident of Paris, France, have invented Im.- provements in Breech-Loading Ordnance, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object improvements in the construction of the breech-loading mechanism of ordnance, and the improvements relating to the closing of the breech of guns of medium and large calibers, as hereinafter explained, are designed to obtain as rapid a fire as possible by facilitating the operation of loading and reducing the number of operations required. These numerous operations ordinarily comprise the following,

,Y namely: iirst,openin g the breech; second,plac

ing the planchette or charging-plate in position; third, introducing the projectile; fourth, introducing the charge; fifth, closing the breech; sixth, extracting the exploded primer seventh,introducingafresh primerin itsplace;

eighth, cooking the hammer when a percussion-primer is employed, or making the connections of the wires when the gun is fired by electricity. In ordinary quick-tiring guns a case is employed which contains the charge and the projectile; but the empty case has to be extracted after each shot. This arrangement, though advantageous for guns of small caliber, ceases to be advantageous with guns of medium caliber, and becomes altogether impracticable with guns of a certain size, owing to the weight of the complete charge and the excessive length of the cases. Itis, moreover, impossible to employ the brown prismatic powders with advantage, owing to the cylindrical or taper form of the cases, and at the same time the well-known advantages of the form of the breech-chamber are lost. With theimproved arrangement according to this invention all the ordinary manipulations connected with the primers, the firing, the charging-plate, 0r the extraction of the cases are dispensed with by combining the movements of these parts with those of opening a-nd closing the breech, as hereinafter explained.

In order that my said invention may be fully understood, I shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings, the saine letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates in vertical and longitudinal section on line 5 6 of Fig. 2 a breech for agun of large caliber according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of thc breech as it appears immediately after tiring. Fig. 3 is likewise a frontview of the breech as it appears at the moment when, after being rotated through one-sixth of a revolution, the breech-screw is about to be drawn back. Fig. 4 represents the bracket and support of thc hinge. Fig. 5 represents a horizontal section on the line 1 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 represents in longitudinal section the loading-plate. Fig. 7 represents a front view of the said plate. Fig. 8 represents a detail in section on the line 3 4, Fig. 7.

rlhe breech-screw or obturator is constructed with interrupted screw-threads divided into three equal parts, and is preferably provided with a special plastic gas check, such as Schneider-s composite gas-check. The screw disconnected trom the gun-barrel is carried by a bronze or metal bracket, the connection between the bracket and screw being obtained with the aid of a double catch, as in the breech-- closing mechanism employed in the French navy. 'lhehead of the lever-handle employed for working the screw is provided with a cam engaging with-a recess in the rear face of the barrel, so as to preventaccidental displacement. The employment of the composite obturator and the perfect adjustment of the' parts insure great speed in the movements of opening and closing the breech. The mechanism for automatically changing or renewing the primers is contained in the back face of the breech-screw, and consists of a disk or barrel A, Figs. 1, 2, and 5, carrying the primers and operated automatically by a lever B. The disk A, the dimensions of which are regulated according to the size of the breechscrew, is arranged to contain the greatest possible number of electric fuses or primers e, which are screwed into the disk in a circle, so that as the disk rotates on its axis a the primers e are successively placed opposite the vent A forked lever B oscillates on an axis c, and communicates a rectilinear motion from front to rear and, vice versa, to the disk. lVith IOO this object the extremities of the fork are provided with pins t), engaging with a circular groove a in the boss or pivot a of the disk A. The other extremity or tail of this lever is of suitable form for working in a helical or inclined groove d in the support of the hinge D, Figs. 1, 2, t, and 5. A piston E, Figs. l and 5,acted on by a spring F,presses against a flat surface -m 11, or on the corners or angles at mand n on the lever B when the latter 0S- cillates on its fulcrum. The disk A is provided on its periphery with as many teeth and notches as there are primers. A lockingbolt G, Figs. and 3, acted on by a suitable spring, engages with lthese notches in succession and prevents the disk from rotating freely on its center or becoming accidentally displaced. The bracket or support of the breech, Figs. 2, 3, and t, is provided with a pawl or-finger L, capable of rotating or oscillating on a pin Z,but retained in a certa-in position -by the action of a blade-spring ll and a stop 7i.

In order to facilitate the introduction of the projectile into the gun and to prevent injury to the threads of the screw, an angular charging plate or planchette K, Figs. G and 7, of bronze or other suitable metal is provided in the breech-opening. rlhe upper part of this pla-tebeingslightly curved forms a cradle for the reception of the projectile, and is contained in a cavity 7a in the breech-opening at the time of-elosing the breech, so as not to interfere with the movements of rotation and displacement of thescrew. The vertical part M of this angular plate or carrier slides-vertically in a groove g, cut in the face of the breech. Another groove cut at right angles tothe first acts as guide and support to a bar N, provided with an incline vand rack-teeth C. An incline o on the plate K slides ou the incline o and the rack C, gearing with a toothed quadrant R, fixed on the pin S of the hinge, which moves with the bracket or support of the breech-screw.

The action of the improved mechanism is as follows: After tiring, the plate A and its lever B occupy the position represented in Figs. 1 and 2, the plate K being underneath the screw, as indicatedvin Figs. G and 7-. Byturning the hand-,lever to the left to the extent of one-sixth -of a revolution, after suitablyraising it-the screw-threads on the breech-block are disengaged from the threads in the breech-opening at the same time the lever B, one end of which slides in thevhelical groove d, oscillates, and drawing back the disk A disengages the exploded primere from the vent w. .During the rotation of the screw all these parts are moved together. One of the teeth o n the disk A comes in contact with t-he finger L, Fig. 3, and as the rotary motion continues the disk is caused to turn upon its axis to the extent of one division and presents a fresh primer in front of the Vent. When -the sixth of a revolution is completed, the bolt G locks the disk A and prevents it from becoming accidentallydisplaced, and the pistou E presses on the fiat part m n of the lever B, Fig. 5. -A ll the parts then become stationary and remain so during the other movements connected with the opening and closing of the breech. At the moment when thescrew, being completely disengaged from the breech, actuates the bracket by causing it to rotate upon its hinge, the toothed quadrant R, partaking of the same movement, actuates the rack C, which by means of inclines yi and o raises the plate K slightly above the level of the adjacent screw threads in the breech-opening. The charge being now introduced, the breech is closed by similar movements in the reverse direction. During the rotation of the bracket and of the quadrant R the rack C and plate K return to their original positions and clear the way for the introduction of the breechscrew. In rotating this screw for the purpose of re-en gagin g the screw-threads the lever B, the tail of which engages with the helical slot d, is caused to vibrate andmove forward the disk A, so as to insertafresh primer into the vent oc. These operati-ons being completed, the loaded gun is ready for firing, the electrical connectionsbeingestablished automaticallyby the act of closing the breech by -theaid of an arrangement illustrated in Figs. Land 2, accordiugrto which-a blade-spring, with two arms r and t, is em'- ployed, being suitably insulated on an ebo-V nite block 5 to connect the extremity y of a carefully-insulated conductor. orfwirewitlr the center of the-primer. fOn lthe otherhaud,.a fine platinum wire in the interior of the p-rimer connects `the central portion with the outer part. The circuit can now be closed through -the metal of the gun andtheI primer. An interrupter or commutator interpesedin the circuit is placed under-thef'control ofthe gunner, who closes the circuit-atf-the'proper moment. On-thepassage of theicurrentfthc platinum wire in theprimer-becomeS-hcate'd and burns, setting re tothe powder around it. As many shots'can thus be firedingrapid succession as there are primers in the-diskA without further attention being-paid tofthe ignition, and vwhen one disk-is exhausted-a fresh disk charged with primers can-, besubstit-uted in Vplace of the-tirst. This exchange can be effected with#great'rapidityhysimply causing the lever B-.t describe ay complete osci11ation,'so as todisengage the bosser-pivot a from the fork,.thus @enabling theexhausted disk to be removed and the chargedrdisk to Abe 4inserted inits place, the gun being' then tired, asbefore,with;the fresh series-of primers.

VI oo IIO The magazmecarryingthe primers. and the loading-plate K acting auto matically,ashereinbefore described, enable guns of anytcali ber to be worked as quick-tiringguns.

The forms and dimensions and the materials employed in the construction of 'the provided with a series of prin1ers,'and means' for automatically rotating the disk, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Q. In breech-loading guns, the combination of a rotary toothed disk carried by the breechscreW and provided with a series of primers, With a breech-screw support provided with a spring-paw] to-engage the teeth on the disk,

'l said plate provided with an incline, a rack- I bar having an incline engaging tue lncllne as and for the purpose set forth. .A

3. The combination of a breech-loading gun with a breech-screw and a disk provided with a series ot primers, means controlled by the breech-screw for automatically rotating the disk, and means for moving it longitudinally in the breech-screw as the latter is rotated, substantially as set forth.

4. In breech-loading guns, the combination of a breech-screw, a rotating disk provided with a series of primers, with an oscillating lever engaging the disk, and means for automaticallyoscillating thelever from the breechscrew as thc latter is rotated, as and for the purpose set forth.

In breech-loading guns, the combination 3 5 of a rotating disk provided with a series of primers and a breech-screw support provided with a helical groove, with a lever, one end of which engages the disk, and the other endis adapted to slide in the helical groove, as and 4o for the purposes set forth.

G. In a breech-loading ordnance, the cornbination of a pivoted breech-screw support with a charging-plate in the breech, and means for automatically raising and lower- 45 ing the plate by the said support as the latter is turned, substantiztlly as and for the purpose set forth.

\ 7. In breech-loading ordnance, the combination ot' a pivoted breech-screwsupport, with 5o a cl1arging-plate in acavity of the breech, the

on the charging-plate, and a toothed quadrant fixed on the pivot of the ,breech-screw 55 support and engaging the teeth of the rack, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRI SCHNEIDER. Witnesses:

CHARLES BRNOY, R. G. PRESTON. 

